Autonomous Medical Response Unit for Hard-to-Reach Scene Transport

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for improved accuracy and efficiency in dispatching personnel and equipment to incident scenes, especially when they are difficult to reach, such as in backyard locations or disaster zones, as existing methods may struggle with precise location determination and obstacle navigation.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous mobile response unit, comprising an autonomous patient support apparatus and an unmanned aerial vehicle, equipped with navigation, drive, and obstruction detection systems, which can autonomously transport patients and medical equipment along optimized paths, using sensors and communication systems to determine and adapt to incident scene locations and obstacles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple personnel are dispatched to locate and transport equipment to difficult-to-reach incident scenes, then the reliability of reaching the incident scene improves, but the loss of time increases due to coordination and sequential actions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of reaching incident sceneVSAvoidtime for locating and transporting

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous mobile response unit performs self-navigation and self-transporation to the incident scene without requiring human operators to physically travel there. The system uses its own sensors, navigation systems, and drive mechanisms to autonomously locate the scene and transport medical equipment, eliminating the need for multiple personnel to coordinate their actions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of human personnel physically traveling to and manually transporting equipment to the incident scene with an autonomous robotic system. The autonomous mobile response unit uses automated navigation, obstacle detection, and drive systems to perform the transportation function without human mechanical intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Device complexity

If personnel manually locate and transport medical equipment to incident scenes, then the device complexity remains low, but the measurement precision of location determination deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomplexity of dispatching systemVSAvoidprecision of incident scene location

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual location determination by personnel with automated sensor-based location detection systems. The autonomous mobile response unit uses cameras, LIDAR, GPS, and other sensors to precisely identify and navigate to the incident scene coordinates, providing much higher measurement precision than manual methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces intermediary technologies such as GPS satellites, communication networks, and sensor systems that mediate between the dispatch center and the incident scene. These intermediaries enable precise location determination and real-time communication without requiring direct human presence at the scene for location assessment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If autonomous mobile response units are deployed to difficult-to-reach incident scenes, then the productivity of emergency response improves, but the device complexity increases due to navigation and obstruction detection systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproductivity of emergency responseVSAvoidcomplexity of autonomous navigation system

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous mobile response unit is designed as a multi-functional platform that can perform various emergency response tasks including patient transport, equipment delivery, and scene assessment. This universal design justifies the complexity by enabling a single system to replace multiple specialized vehicles and personnel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The complex autonomous navigation system is divided into separate functional modules including obstacle detection sensors, path planning algorithms, drive control systems, and communication interfaces. This segmentation allows for independent development, testing, and maintenance of each subsystem while working together to achieve autonomous operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11929157B2Techniques for transporting autonomous patient support apparatuses and medical equipment to an incident scene

Publication Date: 2024.03.12 STRYKER CORP

AI summary

A method of transporting equipment modules to an incident scene with an comprises: determining an initial location of the incident scene; dispatching an ambulance loaded with the autonomous mobile response unit and a plurality of equipment modules to the initial location; determining a refined location of the incident scene; selecting a first equipment module; dispensing the first equipment module from the ambulance onto the autonomous mobile response unit; deploying the autonomous mobile response unit from the ambulance at the initial location; communicating the refined location of the incident scene to the autonomous mobile response unit; generating, with the navigation system, a drive path from the initial location to the refined location; and driving, with the drive system, the autonomous mobile response unit loaded with the first equipment module based on the drive path such that the autonomous mobile response unit travels from the initial location to the refined location.